Their Secrets are Endless
by Nikki Nightmare
Summary: Heatherkit, Sparrowkit, and Swiftkit were born into ThunderClan and are ready to become apprentices. But the three siblings face betrayal, love and loss as they go through life, including a secret that has haunted them from the moment they were born.
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

**Leader **Brightstar- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

**Deputy **Rowanclaw- Dark ginger tom with black tipped ears and stripes along his back

**Medicine Cat **Blackwhisker- white tom with black face, ears, paws, and tail

**Warriors**

Milkbelly- Black tom with white belly

Dustfur- sandy brown tabby tom

Mudfoot- dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Willowpaw

Sharpclaw- spiky furred white-and-brown tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Stonepaw

Whiteclaw- smokey gray tom with white tipped paws

Graystreak- gray tom with darker stripes

Nettleclaw- gray tabby tom with black stripes

Apprentice, Larkpaw

Icepool- pale gray, almost white, she-cat with blue eyes

Raccoontail- gray tabby tom with black ringed tail

Birchpelt- light brown tabby she-cat

Oakfoot- light brown tabby tom with dark brown paws

Poppyflower- long haired, dark red tabby she-cat

**Apprentices**

Stonepaw- large, dark gray tom

Willowpaw- pale gray-and-white she-cat

Larkpaw- silver tabby she-cat

**Queens**

Duskfur- tabby-and-white she-cat, mother of Mudfoot's kits; Mousekit(dusty brown tabby tom with a long skinny tail) and Dapplekit(small tortoiseshell she-cat)

Yellowflower- golden tabby she-cat, mother of Sharpclaw's kits; Lightningkit(golden tabby tom with bright blue eyes)

Dawnlight- pale, golden brown tabby she-cat with cream stripes, mother of Rowanclaw's kits; Sparrowkit(golden brown tabby tom), Swiftkit(dark ginger tom with black ears) and Heatherkit(creamy brown-and-white she-cat with blue eyes)

**Elders**

Squirreltail- ginger tabby she-cat with bushy tail

Treeleg- long legged brown tom with green eyes

**ShadowClan**

**Leader** Ravenstar- sleek, muscular black tom

**Deputy **Mistyclaw- blue-gray she-cat

**Medicine Cat **Sagewhisker- white she-cat with long whiskers

**Warriors**

Batflight- black tom with a brown underbelly

Marshfoot- dark gray tabby tom

Crowflight- white-and-black tom

Apprentice, Shadepaw

Sandstripe- pale ginger she-cat with darker stripes

Applefur- brown-red she-cat

Littlebird- white she-cat

Apprentice, Icypaw

Redclaw- mottled brown-and-ginger tom

Apprentice, Foxpaw

Feralheart- large dark brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Tigerpaw

Owlfeather- light brown tabby she-cat

Snaketail- brown tom with long tail

Shrewfoot- gray tom with black feet

Toadstep- brown-and-white tom

**Apprentices**

Shadepaw- black she-cat

Icypaw- white she-cat with ice blue eyes

Foxpaw- reddish tabby tom

Tigerpaw- dark brown tabby tom

**Queens**

Pinefur- speckled gray she-cat, mother of Ravenstar's kits; Nightkit(black tom with blue eyes), Specklekit(speckled gray she-cat) and Dewkit(gray she-cat with pale gray flecks)

Whitecloud- fluffy white she-cat, expecting Feralheart's kits

**Elders**

Adderfang- brown tom

Longfur- long haired gray tom

**WindClan**

**Leader **Gorsestar- long haired brown tom with gray eyes

**Deputy **Ashfoot- dark gray tom

**Medicine Cat ** Mumblefoot- pale gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

**Warriors**

Sedgeflower- light brown tabby she-cat

Sootfur- black-and-gray tom

Shorttail- brown tabby tom with half his tail missing

Featherbreeze- silver tabby she-cat

Apprentice, Blackpaw

Ivytail- silver tabby-and-white she-cat

Apprentice, Sorrelpaw

Hareflight- small energetic brown-and-white she-cat

Kestrelwing- mottled gray tom

Apprentice, Silkpaw

Snowbird- pure white she-cat

Weaselfur- ginger tom with white paws

Boulderfall- large black tom

Grasspelt- light brown tom with grass green eyes

Thornclaw- golden brown tom

**Apprentices**

Blackpaw- gray tabby tom with black tipped paws

Sorrelpaw- tortoiseshell she-cat

Silkpaw- pale golden brown she-cat with soft fluffy fur

**Queens**

Graytail- thick furred gray she-cat, mother of Shorttail's kits; Runningkit(silver-gray she-cat), Rabbitkit(light brown tabby tom with long ears) and Whisperkit(tiny gray she-cat)

**Elders**

Barkface- dark brown tom

Fuzzypelt- black she-cat with spiky fur

**RiverClan**

**Leader **Stonestar- large stone gray tom

**Deputy** Silverbrook- silver-gray tabby she-cat

**Medicine Cat **Sloefur- elderly black she-cat

Apprentice, Rainstorm

**Warriors**

Voletooth- small brown tabby tom

Troutbelly- pale gray tom

Hailfur- thick furred gray tom

Ottersplash- dark brown she-cat

Apprentice, Ripplepaw

Leopardspots- spotted black, light brown she-cat

Apprentice, Pebblepaw

Bluefang- gray-blue tom with blue eyes

Reedwhisker- light brown-and-ginger tom

Apprentice, Minnowpaw

Smokewater- smokey gray she-cat

Apprentice, Copperpaw

Shellheart- dappled gray tom

Rockfall- black tom

Mudfur- long haired light brown tom

Heavystep- thickset tabby tom

**Apprentices**

Rainstorm- silver-gray tom

Ripplepaw- black-and-silver tabby she-cat

Pebblepaw- mottled gray tom

Minnowpaw- dark gray she-cat

Copperpaw- pale ginger-and-white she-cat

**Queens**

Mistshine- pale gray she-cat, mother of Hailfur's kit; Palekit(pale stripped tabby tom), Greenkit(tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes) and Pouncekit(gray tabby tom)

Petalfur- gray-and-white she-cat, mother of Reedwhisker's kit; Splashkit(gray she-cat with one white paw)

**Elders**

Icewing- white she-cat

Mallownose- light brown tabby tom

**SkyClan**

**Leader **Littlestar- very small tabby she-cat

**Deputy **Hazeltail- gray-and-white she-cat

**Medicine Cat **Gustfur- pale gray tom with scruffy fur

Apprentice, Mintpaw

**Warriors**

Goosetail- speckled gay tom

Swallowtail- dark gray she-cat

Darkfoot- black tom

Buzzardtail- ginger tom

Apprentice, Bouncepaw

Mothflight- golden brown tabby she-cat

Apprentice, Galepaw

Bramblewhisker- dark brown tabby tom

Hawkheart- golden brown tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Blossompaw

Sunflower- bright ginger she-cat

Icetalon- pure white tom

Apprentice, Snowpaw

Dustcloud- light brown tom

Dawnstripe- pale gold tabby with creamy stripes

Briarthorn- dark brown tom

**Apprentices**

Mintpaw- light gray tabby tom

Bouncepaw- ginger tom

Galepaw- pale gray she-cat with swirled darker gray stripes

Blossompaw- tortoiseshell she-cat

Snowpaw- white she-cat

**Queens**

Ashtail- white she-cat with an ash gray tail, mother of Darkfoot's kits; Jumpkit(gray-and-white tom) and Patchkit(black-and-white tom)

Rosewing- creamy brown-and-white she-cat with sky blue eyes, mother of Buzzardtail's kits; Amberkit(dark ginger she-cat with pale blue eyes)

**Elders**

Mousefang- dusty brown tom

Smallbird- small white she-cat

**Cats outside of Clan**

Jinx- black she-cat

Lucky- brown-and-ginger tom with bright green eyes


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

An icy gale pierced through the trees making leaves of red gold and brown fall to the ground. Snow also fell with the leaves and started to cover the grass with a thin blanket of white, glowing beautifully in the moonlight of the night. Deep within the forest two cats were pushing against the cold wind their ears pricked and alert for an signs of danger. Behind them three tiny kits were struggling to keep up with the two full grown cats mewling pitifully. One of the cats, a pale golden brown she-cat with cream stripes, turned back to nudge the kits in the other cats direction. The two larger kits bounced over to the muscular, dark ginger tom with black ears and stripes along his back but the smallest kit, a tiny cream-and-white she-kit, crouched on the ground and refused to move forward.

"Rowanclaw she's too tired to go any farther," the pale golden brown she-cat called to the dark ginger tom.

Rowanclaw nudged the other two kits into the shelter of a bramble bush before bounding over to the she-cat. He sniffed the little she-kit before gripping her in his jaws by her scruff. The little kit was so tired she hung limply in Rowanclaw's jaws as he padded back to the other kits with the she-cat close behind him. The two larger kits crouched underneath the bramble bush only coming out once the she-cat told them it was safe to come out. The both hid underneath the safety of the she-cat belly and Rowanclaw began to lead them through the forest again. Before long they made it to a dip in the earth surrounded by a barrier of thorns. Rowanclaw walked alongside the thorns until he found a tunnel in them big enough for a full grown cat to walk through. Before he could take once step inside the tunnel Rowanclaw was stopped by a threatening hiss.

Setting down the kit he was carrying he scented the air before meowing, "Larkpaw relax its only me!"

A small head poked out of the tunnel and the silver tabby she-cats blue-green eyes widened with shock. "Rowanclaw I'm sorry the winds so strong I couldn't even pick up a scent."

"It's alright now move aside, these kits are freezing," Rowanclaw ordered the apprentice.

"Kits what are you-" Larkpaw's broke off when her eyes fell on the kit sitting between Rowanclaw's front legs and the other two kits sheltering underneath the pale golden brown she-cats belly. "Dawnlight are these your kits?"

The pale golden brown she-cat glanced at Rowanclaw and the she-kit between his paws before looking at the apprentice and nodding. "Yes Larkpaw these are my kits."

"Larkpaw instead of asking questions why don't you get out here and help Dawnlight by carrying one of the kits," Rowanclaw growled to the shocked tabby.

Larkpaw flattened her ears and crept out of the tunnel, padding over to Dawnlight. The two kits with Dawnlight retreated further under her belly when they saw Larkpaw approaching and cried out in fear.

"Don't worry little ones," Dawnlight meowed to the kits. "Larkpaw is a friend, she's going to carry one of you so you wont have to walk anymore."

The two kits looked at each other for a moment before one of them, a dark ginger tom with black ears, crept out of the shelter of Dawnlight's belly and crouched in front of Larkpaw. Larkpaw gripped the kits scruff tightly in her jaws and turned back to Rowanclaw who had picked up his kit once again. Dawnlight picked up the remaining kit, a golden brown tabby tom, and all three cats padded into the tunnel entering the camp within. The camp was large and spacious, in the center of the camp a small oak tree grew. Rowanclaw knew that the tree was completely hollow and near the roots was a hole that led into a den big enough for two cats to sleep comfortably. The den belonged to the Clan leader and it was the place where Rowanclaw would hopefully one day sleep. Rowanclaw turned away from the tree and walked over to a large bramble bush emitting warm, milky scents. Before he entered the den he heard a cat call his name and turned to see a gray tom with black stripes emerging from the oak tree followed by a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat. Both were staring at him their eyes penetrating and gleaming.

"Dawnlight you get settled into the nursery," Rowanclaw said setting down his kit at the she-cats feet. "Get the kits warm and Larkpaw bring Dawnlight some fresh-kill, once your done you can go to sleep, I'll take over guarding the camp."

Larkpaw nodded, not able to speak because of the kit hanging from her mouth and followed Dawnlight into the nursery, coming back out a moment later to get the remaining kit. Once all kits were safely in the nursery Rowanclaw padded over to where the two cats waited for him in front of the oak. When he reached them he sat in front of them and waited for them to speak.

"Rowanclaw you're back at last," the tortoiseshell meowed.

"Yes Brightstar, I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly but it was very important," Rowanclaw told his leader dipping his head in respect and shame.

"I understand that but I don't understand why you took Dawnlight with you," Brightstar said flicking her ears in the direction of the nursery. "Or why you came back with kits."

"She was expecting kits and didn't realize until after we were too far to turn back," Rowanclaw explained. "They were born a moon ago, we waited until they were strong enough to travel."

"Well at least I have my deputy back," Brightstar sighed. Turning to the gray tom beside her she meowed, "Nettleclaw you've been a lot of help these past two moons filling in for Rowanclaw."

Nettleclaw dipped his head to the tortoiseshell and meowed, "It was my pleasure Brightstar, I've always wanted to be deputy but this job is better suited for my brother than it is for me." Turning to Rowanclaw he meowed, "Rowanclaw your job isn't easy."

"I know it isn't but I can handle it," Rowanclaw purred to his brother. "Now why don't you come meet my kits?"

Nettleclaw's green eyes brightened and he followed Rowanclaw to the nursery where Larkpaw was pushing her way through the brambles to get out. The silver tabby pricked her ears when she saw Nettleclaw and Rowanclaw and she sat down.

"Larkpaw thank you for taking prey to Dawnlight," Rowanclaw told the apprentice. "Go get some sleep now."

"I'll wake you before sunhigh and we'll do some battle training," Nettleclaw told the she-cat. "You still need to learn how to fight foxes."

Larkpaw nodded stifling a yawn before turning away and bounding over to a hazel bush and disappearing within its leaves. Rowanclaw purred and looked at his brother. "Hard to believe she barely listened to anything from anyone two moons ago."

"Well you've missed a lot while you were gone," Nettleclaw told him. "My apprentice is finally understanding the warrior code as will make a fine warrior when the time comes."

Rowanclaw nodded in agreement and led the way into the nursery. Inside it was warm and full of milky scents, each nest was emitting purrs of content and the whole den just had a happy atmosphere. Rowanclaw padded past two occupied nests and over to Dawnlight's nest, where she was gently rasping her tongue over the kits who were burrowed in her pale belly fur suckling greedily.

"The poor little mites were starving," Dawnlight said when she noticed Rowanclaw and Nettleclaw approaching. "And their fur was wet from the snow that fell, I hope they don't catch a cold or, StarClan forbid, greencough."

"Don't worry I'll have Blackwhisker check in on you and the kits in the morning," Rowanclaw promised.

"What are their names?" Nettleclaw asked looking over the three tiny kits.

"The golden brown tabby is Sparrowkit, he's the first-born," Rowanclaw said pointing at the little tom with his claw. "The dark ginger is Swiftkit, and the cream-and-white is Heatherkit."

"Swiftkit looks a lot like you," Nettleclaw meowed.

"And he's the most mischievous and arrogant of the bunch," Dawnstripe purred in amusement. "While we were traveling back he talked Heatherkit to climb up a tree and she got stuck, Rowanclaw had to bring her down."

"Well I don't know where he got his personality from," Nettleclaw purred.

"Probably from you," Rowanclaw said playfully cuffing his brothers ear. "When we were kits you were always getting us into trouble!"

"Quiet!" Dawnlight hissed. "You'll wake every kit in here."

"Sorry Dawnlight," Nettleclaw meowed flattening his ears. "Well I guess I'll turn in for the night, I need plenty of rest if I'm going to be battle training with Larkpaw."

Rowanclaw nodded and followed him out so he could guard the camp. He settled down a few tail lengths from the nursery and looked up at the night sky wondering if the warriors of StarClan were watching him now and judging him. _I have done wrong,_ he told the starry sky silently. _But I do not regret my decision. I will carry this secret for the rest of my life and pray my kits will never find out._


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Heatherkit squirmed while she slept and rolled onto her back to get more comfortable. She felt herself roll onto one of her brother, she hoped it was Swiftkit. She was still mad at him for getting her stuck in that tree a few days ago. He told her that a real ThunderClan warrior could climb the tree all the way to the top and climb back down with no problem. Heatherkit was determined to prove to her brother that she was a ThunderClan warrior so she started climbing the tree and took a short break on the first branch to gloat at Swiftkit. When she saw how high she was she froze and felt herself sway and start to slip off the branch. She would have fallen right off if it weren't for Rowanclaw who climbed up the tree to save her. She loved her father dearly and knew that he loved her just as much from every simple gesture he made, whether it was nuzzling her when she bounced up to him or when he saved her from falling from the tree.

Suddenly Heatherkit felt very restless and could no longer just lie down and sleep. Blinking open her eyes she found herself in the nursery of her home in a soft mossy nest curled up next to Dawnlight and her brothers. She slid off Swiftkit and tottered over to the edge of the nest to get a better view of her surroundings. She saw that there were other sleeping cats in the nursery, two she-cats, one a breathtakingly beautiful golden tabby and the other a tabby-and-white with a tortoiseshell she-kit asleep beside her. Heatherkit stared at the other kit, who was much bigger and older than her, and ducked when she opened her eyes and raised her head to look at Heatherkit.

"Who are you?" the tortoiseshell kit asked.

Heatherkit felt uneasy under the tortoiseshell's bright amber gaze but managed to answer her. "I'm Heatherkit. Who are you?"

"My names Dapplekit," she replied. "Where did you come from?"

"I came here last night with my parents and brothers last night," Heatherkit told her. "I was born outside the camp but I'm still a ThunderClan cat."

"Well welcome," Dapplekit said bouncing up to her paws. She flicked her ears to the tabby-and-white she-cat sleeping beside her and said, "This is my mother Duskfur next to me and I have a brother Mousekit but he must be outside playing." Waving her tail to the golden tabby in the other nest she said, "That's Yellowflower, she has a kit name Lightningkit but he's probably playing with Mousekit."

"This is my mother Dawnlight," Heatherkit said looking back at her mother still sleeping peacefully with Sparrowkit curled up next to her face. "And those are my brothers Sparrowkit and Swiftkit."

"Swiftkit looks like Rowanclaw," Dapplekit observed.

"That's cause Rowanclaw is our father," Heatherkit told her. "But he acts nothing like him, Sparrowkit acts more like Rowanclaw."

"That's great that your fathers the deputy of ThunderClan," Dapplekit said jumping out of her nest. "Do you want me to show you around camp?"

Heatherkit nodded and took a step forward to follow Dapplekit but a paw was placed firmly on her tail pinning her in place. Looking over her shoulder she saw that Dawnlight had woken up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dawnlight asked her softly.

"Outside with Dapplekit," Heatherkit replied simply. "She's going to show me around camp."

"I don't want you going anywhere without your brothers," Dawnlight told her. Nosing Swiftkit and Sparrowkit gently she murmured, "Wake up you two, Heatherkit's going to explore the camp. Don't you want to go with her?"

Swiftkit opened his eyes immediately and jumped to his paws looking around the nursery until his eyes fell on Heatherkit. "I want to go too!" He meowed walking over to stand next to her.

Sparrowkit opened sleep blurred eyes and looked at Dawnlight before sitting up and yawning. "Why did you wake me?"

"Because it's nearly sunhigh and you can't sleep the whole day," Dawnlight said licking his ears. "You're going to go outside and Dapplekit is going to show you and your brother and sister around the camp."

"Is Rowanclaw out there?" Sparrowkit asked.

"Maybe, but you'll never know unless you go out and see for yourself," Dawnlight said. "Dapplekit make sure the don't get into trouble."

"Don't worry I'll make sure they won't," Dapplekit promised. Looking at Heatherkit and her brothers she mewed, "Come on let's go!"

Heatherkit ran after Dapplekit with her brothers beside her. As the ran out of the nursery Heatherkit heard her mother call, "Be back before the sun goes down!"

As she emerged from the nursery she was awe struck from the size of the camp. Last night she was too tired to notice much of the camp draped in darkness but now in daylight, with the sun reflecting off the blanket of powdery snow that covered the ground, Heatherkit stared at her home for the first time. There was a small, but thick, oak in the very center of the camp covered with ivy and had a hole towards the base big enough for a cat to fit through. Just beyond the oak was a low spreading bush that was as wide as a tree was tall and was thick with orange, red, and golden leaves that looked ready to fall off the branches. Beside it was a sectioned off circle of hazel bushes. Over on the side of the camp that Heatherkit was currently at, a couple of yards away from the nursery was a bramble much like the nursery's only it was smaller and had a large flat rock beside it where an elderly ginger tabby she-cat was napping. On the other side of the nursery more than a couple of yards away was another hazel bush surrounded by a patch of ferns where two half grown she-cats were wrestling playfully.

"Wow the camp is huge!" Heatherkit said loudly.

"The forest outside of camp is a lot bigger," Dapplekit said. "I've only been out once to help Blackwhisker pick herbs nearby but I was amazed by how big it was out there."

"We already saw the forest while we were traveling," Swiftkit told Dapplekit while Sparrowkit tipped his head to the side and asked the tortoiseshell, "Who's Blackwhisker?"

Dapplekit narrowed her eyes at Swiftkit before turning to Sparrowkit to answer his question. "Blackwhisker is ThunderClan's medicine cat. It's his job to make sure that the Clan is always healthy and if a cat gets injured or sick then he uses herbs that he picks in the forest to help them get better. But that's not the most important job they have. Medicine cat's are a Clan's direct link to StarClan, whenever StarClan needs to tell the Clan something important they'll send a sign to the Clan's medicine cat and they'll interpret the sign."

"Wow medicine cat's are as important as Clan leaders aren't they?" Heatherkit asked.

"Yes they are," Dapplekit purred. Ducking her head shyly and scuffing the ground with her paw she murmured, "I actually hope to become a medicine cat, I already asked Blackwhisker to take me on as his apprentice and he said he would consult it with Brightstar and StarClan to see if I would be a good medicine cat."

"Can we see the medicine den?" Swiftkit asked.

Dapplekit shook her head. "No you can't, one of the warriors is sick and kits aren't allowed anywhere near the medicine den until that warrior gets better. I'll take you to meet the elders if you want."

Heatherkit and Sparrowkit nodded eagerly while Swiftkit lowered his head in disappointment. Dapplekit led the way over to the bramble bush beside the flat rock where the ginger tabby she-cat was sleeping and leaped onto the rock to wake the she-cat.

"Squirreltail wake up," Dapplekit whispered softly.

The ginger she-cat opened one green eye and growled, "Only you can get away with waking me Dapplekit. What do you want."

"I want you to meet Rowanclaw's and Dawnlight's kits," Dapplekit told the elder eagerly.

Squirreltail's other eye opened and both were filled with shock. "My son has kits? Why wasn't I told?"

"They were born outside of camp when Rowanclaw went away with Dawnlight," Dapplekit explained. "She had no idea she was expecting kits."

"Well where are my little kin?" Squirreltail demanded sitting up. Spotting Heatherkit and her brothers she asked, "Are you Rowanclaw's kits?"

"Yes," Heatherkit told the elderly she-cat.

"Well come up here all of you, let me get a good look at you," Squirreltail urged them.

Heatherkit and her brothers jumped onto the rock and sat side by side in front of their father's mother. "What are your names little ones?" she asked.

"I'm Heatherkit," she mewed shyly edging closer to Sparrowkit who was closer to her.

"I'm Sparrowkit and this is our brother Swiftkit," Sparrowkit told Squirreltail waving his tail in Swiftkit's direction.

"Swiftkit you look just like your father," Squirreltail said licking his cheek and then Heatherkit's and Sparrowkit's. "And Sparrowkit you look a bit like your mother, you're pelt is darker than hers but its almost the same." Looking at Heatherkit she was puzzled for a moment like she couldn't make out who she looked like. "Heatherkit you've got the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen. It's like I'm looking at a clear blue sky. You know your father's younger sister has blue eyes too."

"She does? What's her name?" Heatherkit asked suddenly curious and not afraid of Squirreltail.

"Well her name is Poppyflower," Squirreltail told her. "She was the last kit I had and was the only one in her litter, and at the time the only kit in the nursery. She got under everyone's paws and bothered everyone but was spoiled rotten by Rowanclaw. He always looked after her and played with her whenever he had free time. One time she led a young fox right to the camp."

"She didn't get her did she?" Heatherkit asked.

"No she sneaked out of camp one day while I was napping and found a fox in the forest and when she ran away from it the wretched thing followed her here, right into camp. I remember waking up to the warriors and elders yowling in fear and couldn't find Poppyflower anywhere. When I poked my head out of the nursery I saw her hanging from the fox's jaws for only a moment before Rowanclaw leaped at it and clawed it until it let Poppyflower go. The fox ran away and Poppyflower's apprentice ceremony was delayed another moon. But then our deputy at the time retired and Rowanclaw took his place," Squirreltail finished.

"Wow that's amazing!" Sparrowkit said.

"I'm going to chase off a fox one day too," Swiftkit vowed. "I'll do it when I'm an apprentice and will be known as the only apprentice in all the Clan's to have chased off a fox single pawed."

"Of course you will little one," Squirreltail purred.

"Squirreltail what's all the racket out there?" called a voice from inside the bramble. "Are Lightningkit and Mousekit there?"

"No Treeleg just Rowanclaw and Dawnlight's kit and Dapplekit," Squirreltail replied.

"Rowanclaw and Dawnlight's kits?" a dark brown head poked out of the bramble and a pair of leaf green eyes stared at Heatherkit and her brother's in shock. "Well I had to see it to believe it."

The rest of Treeleg's body emerged and Heatherkit was shocked to see that he was the tallest cat she had ever seen. His legs were long and well muscled so it was no wonder his name was Treeleg. He jumped over to the flat rock and looked at Heatherkit and her brothers in turn.

"Only this one looks like either of the parents," Treeleg said pointing at Swiftkit with a single claw.

"Don't be silly Sparrowkit's pelt is like Dawnlight's," Squirreltail told him. "It's just a darker shade. And Heatherkit's pelt is the color of Dawnlight's stripes."

"Well they look like nice strong kits," Treeleg said. "More apprentices to change our bedding, fetch our prey, and get rid of our ticks."

"Treeleg apprentices do more than that and you know it," Squirreltail snapped.

"I don't care what else they do as long as my bedding is clean and dry, my belly is full, and my pelt is free of ticks!" Treeleg growled.

The two elders continued squabbling and Dapplekit nudged Heatherkit and her brother's off the rock. "They'll be like that for a while," Dapplekit told them leading them over to the hazel surrounded by ferns.

The two she-cats that Heatherkit saw wrestling earlier were now laying on the ground sharing tongues and didn't notice them approaching. One of the she-cat was a slender silver tabby with bright green eyes and the other had fur that was such a pale shade of gray it looked almost white. Her blue eyes just convinced Heatherkit more that she was a cat made of ice and snow. The silver tabby turned to look at the kits as they approached.

"Hello Dapplekit," she meowed cheerfully. The pale gray she-cat beside her meowed, "How are you today?"

"Hi Larkpaw, hi Willowpaw, I'm doing great what about you?" Dapplekit asked politely dipping her head to the two she-cats in the order she said their names.

"Nettleclaw and I did some battle training this morning," the silver tabby told Dapplekit.

"What about you Willowpaw?" Dapplekit asked the pale gray she-cat.

"Mudfoot took me out on a hunting patrol," Willowpaw said. "I brought back more prey than any cat on the patrol."

"Well I just came over to introduce Dawnlight and Rowanclaw's kits," Dapplekit told them.

"I met them last night," Larkpaw purred. "I carried that ginger tom to the nursery."

"My name is Swiftkit," he told her indignantly.

"I'm sorry Swiftkit but you fell asleep the moment I placed you in the nest," Larkpaw told him. "I never got a chance to get your or your littermates names."

"Well now you know I'm Swiftkit, and this is my brother Sparrowkit and my sister Heatherkit," Swiftkit told the silver tabby she-cat.

"Who's kits?" asked a new voice from within the hazel bush.

Heatherkit stared at the hazel and saw a large dark gray tom with amber eyes emerge with two kits bouncing out of the hazel after him. Heatherkit could tell just by looking that the two kits weren't the same age. One of them, a dusty brown tabby tom with a long skinny tail, was much bigger than the other kit, A golden tabby tom with bright blue eyes. The dusty brown tabby kit spotted Heatherkit and her brother's and Dapplekit and ran over, jumping on Dapplekit playfully. Heatherkit guessed that the dusty brown tabby kit was Dapplekit's brother Mousekit, so that meant that the golden tabby kit must be the only other kit in the nursery, Lightningkit. Lightningkit ran over to Heatherkit and her brother's and looked over them, he had to be at least four moons old.

"Are you Dawnlight's kits?" Lightningkit asked.

Swiftkit nodded, "Yes we are, I'm Swiftkit and this is my brother Sparrowkit and sister Heatherkit."

"and Rowanclaw's your father isn't he?" Lightning asked.

"That's right," Sparrowkit told the golden tabby.

"That's so cool," Lightningkit said. "I wish my father was deputy."

"Don't worry Lightningkit he might be deputy one day," the dark gray tom told the golden tabby. "Sharpclaw is a good warrior, and if Rowanclaw becomes leader one day he might make Sharpclaw his deputy." Looking at Heatherkit and her brother's he told them, "I'm Stonepaw by the way, Larkpaw and Willowpaw's brother, Lightningkit's father is my mentor so he thinks he can bother me all the time."

"Nice to meet you," Heatherkit said staring up at Stonepaw.

"Heatherkit, Sparrowkit, Swiftkit!" Dawnlight's voice called from the nursery. "Come back to the nursery it's starting to snow again!"

"Lightningkit you come back too!" called Yellowflower's voice.

"Dapplekit, Mousekit you too," called Duskfur.

Heatherkit and the rest of the kits said goodbye to the apprentices and ran to the nursery just as white flakes began to fall from the sky. Heatherkit was waiting her turn to go back into the nursery when she spotted her father emerging from the low spreading bush on the other side of camp. Excited to see her father, Heatherkit ran across the camp to greet him. Rowanclaw spotted her and purred loudly and licked her head when she reached him.

"Heatherkit you should be in the nursery," Rowanclaw told her.

"I wanted to see you first," Heatherkit explained. "I explored the camp today."

"Did you stay away from the nursery?" Rowanclaw asked. "Milkbelly is sick with greencough and we don't want anyone else to catch it."

"Yes we all stayed away, Dapplekit was watching us."

"Good Dapplekit is a very responsible kit, she will make an excellent medicine cat from what Blackwhisker has told me. What else did you do?"

"We met Squirreltail and she told us how you saved Poppyflower from a fox and met the apprentices," Heatherkit told him."When can I be an apprentice?"

"When you're six moons old," Rowanclaw told her. "You're only a moon old now so you still have five moons to play and be carefree like every other kit in the nursery."

"But I want to be an appprentice and explore the forest with you," Heatherkit wailed.

"Soon little one you'll be able to do that," Rowanclaw purred. "But for now let me take you back to the nursery so you don't get sick."

Rowanclaw led her to the nursery where Dawnlight had poked her head out to look for Heatherkit. Rowanclaw nosed her in front of Dawnlight and her mother picked Heatherkit up by her scruff and carried her to the nest, dropping her gently beside her brother's before curling up in the nest next to them. Soon Heatherkit was getting sleepy and curled up next to her brother's in the curve of their mother's warm belly.


End file.
